US, Qatar sign $12bn jets deal despite Gulf blockade
Washington and Doha have signed an agreement for the purchase of F-15 fighter jets with an initial cost of $12bn, as US President Donald Trump’s administration attempts to navigate an ongoing diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday the country had signed a deal to buy F-15 fighter jets from Washington for $12 billion.
The deal was completed despite the Gulf country being criticised recently by US President Donald Trump for supporting terrorism.
According to Qatar News Agency, Qatari Minister of Defence Khalid Al Attiyah and his US counterpart Jim Mattis agreed on the deal in Washington DC.
Attiyah said the agreement underscores the “longstanding commitment of the state of Qatar in jointly working with our friends and allies in the United States in advancing our military cooperation for closer strategic collaboration in our fight to counter violent extremism and promote peace and stability in our region and beyond”.
The two leaders also discussed the current state of operations against Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group and the importance of de-escalating tensions so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon also announced in a statement that the sale would give Qatar “a state of the art capability and increase security cooperation and interoperability” between Doha and Washington.
The weapon transfer comes just weeks after President Trump signed a deal with Saudi Arabia for almost $110bn in US arms.
It also comes amid a diplomatic row between a Saudi-led bloc of nations and Qatar.
In early June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) abruptly cut relations with Doha and suspended all land, air and sea traffic with the monarchy, accusing it of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region.
